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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

P. PET-ERHANSL & G. H. ROTHMA.NN. PRISON CELL, VAULT, &c.

No. 588,834. Patented Aug. 24, 1897.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. PETERHANSL & G. H. ROTHMANN.-

PRISON cELL, VAULT, 88c.

No. 588,834., Patented Aug. 24,1897.

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FRANK PETERHANSL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND GEORGE IlpROTH- ANN, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY.

PRISON-CELL, VAULT, a e.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,834, dated August 24, 1897. Application filed February 9,1897. Serial No. 622,618. (Nomoiiel.l

To all whom it may concern: makes contact with the contact-plates E or Be it known that we, FRANK PETERHANSL, E of an electric alarm F F, so that the alarm of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State is sounded whenever the valve is in an open of New York, and GEORGE H. ROTHMANN, of position. Each of the pipes C O is provided 5 Rutherford, in the county of Bergen and State with an indicating-disk G or G, indicating of New Jersey, have invented new and useful the number of the cell containing the corre- Improvements in Prison-Cells, Vaults, Cages, sponding window A or A, respectively. Each 850., of which the following is afull, clear, and of the pipes C C is also provided with a vacueXact description. um pressure-gage H, and each pipe is con- IO The object of the invention is to provide cernected bya branch pipe I with a pipe J, contain new and useful improvements in prisonnected by a pipe K with a vacuum-pump or cells, cages, treasure-vaults, and like strucother device forforming a vacuum in the pipe tures, whereby attempts to break the doors, 0 O, and the window-grating formed of the walls, or windows of the same are at once sighollow connected pipes B B. I 5 naled automatically to a central office to en- Each branch pipe I is provided with a valve able the authorities to frustrate the escape of I, so that each corresponding pipe C or C the prisoners from the cells or attempts of may be connected or disconnected with or burglars to break into the vaults. from the vacuum-producing device to reduce The invention f consists of certain parts the pressure in' the pipes to the desired de- 20 and details and combinations of the same, as gree, as indicated by the corresponding vacuwill be fully described hereinafter, and then uni-gage H. When the pipes O O are expointed out in the claims. hausted to form the vacuum, the valves D Reference is to be had to the accompanying are held close on the casings. D, and when drawings, formingapart of this specification, the vacuum has been established the said 25 in which similar characters of reference indivalves are heldto their seats by atmospheric cate corresponding parts in all the figures. pressure against the tension of the springs D Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improve- Now it is evident that when a prisoner in ment as arranged for window-gratings. Fig. trying to escape breaks in one of the bars B 2 is a similar view of the improvement as an- B air passes through the opening made in o ranged for doors, parts being in section. Fig. the pipe to fill the grating and the correspond- 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of one ing pipe 0 C, so that the vacuum is broken, of the alarm-valves, and Fig. 4 is an end elcand consequently the spring D causes the vation of the same. i valve D to fly open into the position shown The improvement, as illustrated in Fig. 1, in Figs. 3 and 4 and at the right in Fig. 1 to 3 5 is applied to the windows A A, each of which close the circuit for the corresponding alarm has a grating formed of a series of Vertically- F F to sound the same, and thus notify the disposed pipes B and horizontally-arranged authorities that an attempt at breaking jail pipes B, connected with each other in such is made, and at the same time by the india manner that the several pipes are in comeating-disk G or G, a corresponding alarm 0 4o munication with each other, the pipes being sounding, the number of the cellis given from set in the walls of the window to securely hold which the attempt is made. The under side the grating in place. Each of the hollow of each valve D may be provided with the gratings thus formed by the several pipes is indicator, so that when the valve flies open connected by a pipe 0 or O with a central the number of the cell is exposed to view. 5 45 office, and the end of each pipe 0 G from For doors A vertical and horizontal pipes a corresponding window is provided with B and B are connected with each other and a valve D D, respectively, formed with a .with the pipe B, forming the pintle for the valve-casing D, adapted to be closed by a door to swing on, and this pintle is provided hinged valve D pressed on by a spring D with a short pipe 13 mounted to turn in a ICO 50 to hold the said valve normally in an open suitable stuffing-box L, held in an elbow- L,

position. The valve D when in this position connected by the pipe 0 with the central offree, similarly to the pipes C C", above described. The hasp B for the door A is made hollow and connected with several of the pipes B so that in case one of the pipes B B or the hasp B is cut by a prisoner or burglar air passes into the hollow pipes or hasp to break the vacuum and/to cause the sounding of an alarm, as above described in reference to Fig. 1.

Nowit will be seen that by the arrangement described great security is obtained for prisoncells, treasure-vaults, cages, and the like, and any attempt to break the doors, walls, windows, and the like is at once signaled to the central office to notify the authorities of the occurrence. The several pipes forming the gratings or bars are connected with each other by suitable Ts, elbows, or other fittings, or the pipes may be soldered together or otherwise connected with each other, it being, however, understood that they are always in communication with each other to permit of forming a vacuum therein, as above described.

\Ve are aware that gratings, doors, and the like have been made of pipes filled with water, air, or other fluid under pressure, but we do not claim such an arrangement.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1-. A prison-cell, vault, cage, &c.,'provided with a network of connected pipes forming the wall, grating, door, or the like, a pipe leading from the said pipes and adapted to be connected with an exhaust device, said pipe having an outlet adapted to be closed by a springactuated cover, and an alarm operated by said cover, substantially as described.

2. A prison-cell, vault,cage, 820., provided with a network of connected pipes forming the wall, grating, door, or the like, a pipe leading from the pipes and adapted to be connected with an exhaust device,.said pipe havin g an outlet adapted to he closed by a springactuated cover, an alarm operated by said cover, and an indicator in the said pipe, substantially as described.

A window-grating made of a series of connected pipes, a pipe connected With the said grating and leading to a central ofiice, means for exhausting the air from the said pipe and grating, and an alarm-valve held on the said pipe and closed by atmospheric pres sure and adapted to he opened by a spring, and an alarm adapted to be sounded on the opening of the said valve, as set forth.

4. A window-grating made of a series of connected pipes, a pipe connected with the said grating and leading to a central office, means for exhausting the air from the said pipe and grating, an alarm-valve held on the said pipe and closed by atmospheric pressure, and adapted to be opened by a spring, an alarm adapted to be sounded on the opening of the said valve, and an indicator in the said pipe, substantially as shown and described.

5. A door formed of a series of connected pipes, a pintle connected with the said pipes and having an extension, and a pipe leading from the said extension to a central office, the said pipe being provided with an alarm-valve adapted to be opened by spring-pressure on breaking one of the pipes, substantially as shown and described.

6. A door formed of a series of connected pipes, one of which serves as a pintle, and provided with a hollow hasp connected with sundry of the pipes, and a pipe connected wit-h the pipe forming the pintle and adapted to be connected with an air-exhaust device, said pipe having an outlet adapted to be closed by a cover normally held open by a spring, substantially as described.

FRANK PETERl-IANSL. GEORGE H. ROTI-IMANN. Witnesses:

THEo. G. HOSTER, A. A. HOPKINS. 

